Radiant Beer Co. in Anaheim has hit the two year mark and will mark thar occasion next weekend…
2 Radiant
1st Visit – Orange County -Part 2
I have to admit that Monkish Brewing has not been on my radar for quite some time. Not due to quality or anything, they just blew up and getting in was simply harder to either avoid a can drop or big tap room crowds.
But the Anaheim location has been on my radar, and I finally checked out M2 recently and here is what I found….
The old Anaheim Brewing space seems way more garden like. Trees and shade on a hot day worked wonders. It is blocked off a bit but not so much that it is darkened. Way less space inside. Gotta say, better than the cramped Torrance brewery. Even though the seating is not what one would call comfortable.
If soft hops is your jam and you want to hit two breweries, Monkish and Unsung Brewing nearby would be a great 1-2 punch.
1st Visit – Orange County – Part 1
I tooled down the 5 on a recent Sunday to check out the new Everywhere Beer Co. To get there, I passed by Angel Stadium as well as the Orange County location of Golden Road and a Karl Strauss.
Everywhere is the project of a breakaway group from The Bruery much in the way that Radiant Beer Co. is. And both are happy and colorful places for a beer. Lot’s of colorful painted figures on the wall. A happy little wobbly circle mascot. Actual booths to nestle into inside, outdoor seating as well. Spanish tile creating a warming counterpoint. Views of the brewhouse from most angles.
First beer was Delicious Moments an Italian Pilsner. My half pour came in a cool cylindrical glass that emphasized the dark yellow color. Sharp malty and mineral taste. Not bubbly but not viscous either.
Next up was Gladness, a West Coast IPA is nice a bright. A burst of hoppiness here that is different from the crowded IPA field. I get melon and grape notes. As it warmed the fruit pulled back a bit and the West Coast-iness came out.
The finishing beer was Magnificent Everything a DDH DIPA. Super pillowy soft and fruity. Getting a strawberry note here. Tastes way less big than the Gladness. Getting a wheat note here as well.
The selection on offer was five beers, two sours and two seltzers. A little more style variety will probably come as the production grows. They also have beer to-go as well to round out your choices.
One Radiant
I have been a fan of Radiant Beer™ Co. . I noticed that I buy their brightly colored and positive vibe named beers whenever I see them Now they are heading towards their first anniversary in early February.
No big ticketed bash but instead a “weekend-long birthday party to celebrate. The team at Radiant has new beer releases and nostalgic birthday party activities lined up just for the occasion.”
More info on the festivities, “Rotating food trucks will offer special menu items throughout the weekend, along with a surprise collaboration that is yet to be announced. In addition to new beer releases and specialty treatments, guests can look forward to a cask tapping, a unique glassware sale, live music, merchandise offers, limited supply surprise gifts, and expanded offerings of the frozen treats that fans near and far have come to love at Radiant.”
Good Start to 2022
With the Omicron skulking about this holiday, I thought we should start off the year with a recent beer release that is good and Radiant…
The Anaheim brewery is using the strong ale style as their winter warmer and I think the name is brilliant because we could use more people (myself included) being good.
Anaheim-ish
The FOMO beer trading crowd was probably out in force when the Anaheim edition of Monkish opened before Christmas. With an appropriately named beer…
I will visit sometime early in 2022 and will report about the 2nd location – 1st visit.
Santa Ana Brewery # 3 – Cerveza Cito
I am going to cheat a bit and head a little north to Santa Ana for this last brewery stop in August.
Cerveza Cito is on 4th Street and is pretty new to the Orange County brewing scene.
Here are what I would put into a taster tray…
La Chata – Refreshing Horchata Cream Ale
Firme Twist – Our Santa Ana style lager, Firme, with a hint of lime and sea salt.
Mi Morena Amber – Smooth and crisp with notes of chocolate and caramel.
Quemacocos Stout – Smooth Coconut Rye Stout
Anaheim Brewery # 2 – Rad Beer Co.
Next stop, Valley Girl lingo in Orange County Rad Beer Company which sports a former Bottle Logic brewer as head brewer in Dylan Mobley.
Time to pick some beers to pair with their sister company’s (Rad Brat) sausages.
King Minutia German Pilsner – “Lager brewing is all about the details, time and temperature can make all the difference. Our German style Pilsner follows a very traditional, precise recipe throughout the process. Brewed with all German ingredients and adhering to traditional brewing methods, this beer shows it. Crisp and clean, this beer hits all the feels for a classic German Pils.”
Halo IPA – “Bold hop aromas of pine, citrus & tropical fruit. It’s dank!”
Triple Tripel – “Belgian beers are like the original craft beer in terms of beer history. Take a detour from modern craft and enjoy the orighinal. This Tripel is a classic three grain recipe of malted barley, wheat and oats brewed with noble hops and fermented with a Trappist Belgian yeast. Big bubblegum, banana, and spicy fruity yeast esters marry with a rich malt profile for a great summer Tripel.”
American Export Stout – “We’ve all had a good American stout. Some of us have had world class Imperial Stouts. The export stout often gets overlooked but hits that sweet spot between the two. At 7.7% this Export Stout fills the gaps. Enough sweetness but finishes dry, rich chocolate and coffee but balanced. More of a hop presence than and Imperial stout, the Centennial and Amarillo come in to play at the back end of your sip finishing with a touch of citrus and earth.”
Anaheim Brewery #1 – Brewery X
Our first foray to Anaheim hits the spot. Brewery X is in the North and East of the city. They have quite an extensive list of IPA’s, hazy and clear but let’s look at the other categories.
Here is what I would put into a taster tray…
I Know, Huh? – Amber Mexican lager
Clearly Confused – Kristallweizen
Stein Me Up – Munich Helles
Highlands & Islands – German / New Zealand Hybrid lager
For Matt Foley
Subtle is sometimes avoided on beer labels but Radiant Beer Co. has SNL’d their new lager quite cleverly. From the slightly altered name to the “motivational” sub-title and then the blue check. More breweries should take this tack.